


Coming Home

by TaraLaurel1



Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: Angel Investigations - Freeform, Canonical Character Death, Death, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Sister-fic, Supernatural - Freeform, Suspense, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-05
Updated: 2014-02-05
Packaged: 2018-01-11 07:40:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1170445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaraLaurel1/pseuds/TaraLaurel1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Francis Doyle kept a lot of secrets from his friends. Shortly after his death, Angel, Cordelia and Wesley discover yet another secret from his tragic past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Erin Doyle

The office was chilled and damp on this first day of Spring. Flowers were already slowly beginning to become reborn just outside their doors. Although the air was moist, the sun peered its way through the impending rain clouds. People began moving about outdoors as if recovering from hibernation. Although Los Angelus had retained mostly fair temperatures throughout the winter months as it tended to do, this past February had brought with it a great deal of frosty weather, at least for those who grew up in places such as Sunnydale. The world just outside their doors was beautifully changing. Yet, within the walls of the cramped office building, there was little notice taken to such things. Those of Angel Investigations had more prominent issues on their minds than the weather.

A petite brunette woman remained hunched over a desk piled with miscellaneous and scattered papers and folders. She sifted through them aimlessly as if in a trance. Her fingers gradually found their way up to her thick locks and began twirling the stray ends of her misshapen ponytail. Sleep had obviously escaped her the night before and the drool stain garnishing one of the documents and the empty coffee pot that was now rattling to begin a new batch signified that she had not left that room since the preceding day. As she fought futilely to hold back a yawn, she glanced over at the lumpy figure that began to hoarsely groan on the nearby couch. A gray jacket acted as the man's blanket, his own arm as his pillow. He groggily moaned again and sat up stiffly, his glasses crooked across his face.

"Morning sunshine," the woman spoke with little to no enthusiasm, "how was that 30 minutes of sleep for you?"

"Not as good as the hour you received in the middle of our conversation, atop of the Baker case file."

The woman glanced down sheepishly at the small dried puddle and shrugged innocently as she often did.

"Where is he?' The waking man questioned, straightening his glasses.

"Last I heard, he was in the shower. Probably attempting to get all of that yucky yellow demon blood off of him. I swear,  _I_ wanted to take a bath after I just saw him." Sighing, she pulled a small compact mirror from her bag and began examining herself. "So much for beauty sleep. I get to go to my audition looking like a zombie."

"Actually, zombies, or the living dead, don't look deceased at all. They hardly look any different than you or me. In fact –" He stopped short as he suddenly realized he was on the receiving end of one of his colleague's infamous glares.

"Mornin' Am I interrupting something?"

The two looked up as their equally exhausted boss entered the room.

"Morning," The woman nodded, "can I go home now?"

"Did we figure out if this is the last of him?"

"Third time is the charm," the man with glasses declared as he rose and handed his boss an aged and open book. "The description matches that of the creature you fought the last few nights. It says that this particular breed of demon possesses three hearts and therefore must be slain three times."

"Ugh," the woman bemoaned, "what is it with demons? Three hearts now? What next? You'd think that three hearts would make him nicer or something, you know, like the Grinch."

The two stared at her in confusion and a slight grin emerged from their boss' lips.

"Cordelia," the boss began, "a heart doesn't make someone good. Their soul does, or at least in some peoples' cases, it should anyway."

"Well then," Cordelia sighed, "why don't we round up a bunch of gypsies and get them to shove souls in all the demons and baddies of the world like they did with you?"

Her smile faded as her eyes fell upon the front door of the office. The others followed her gaze and also found the young woman who stood hesitantly in the doorway.

"Oh crap" the woman behind the desk mumbled to herself.

"Oh, its okay." The girl spoke softly. "I know about demons and stuff."

"Oh, good" Cordelia breathed.

"Can we help you?" The man who had only moments ago entered asked softly as he could already smell the fear the girl possessed.

"I, uh, I'm sort of looking for someone. This is Angel Investigations, right?"

"Yeah," the boss confirmed, "I'm Angel. This is Wesley and Cordelia."

"Does anybody else work here?"

"No, just the three of us." Angel nodded and then paused. "I mean, someone else, well, did –"

"Did? As in the past? He's gone, isn't he? I knew it. I'll never find him. He probably doesn't even want to be found, least of all by me."

"Hold on, slow down. Who are you looking for?"

"His name is Francis, Francis Doyle."

Cordelia staggered at the name of her fallen friend and locked a sorrowful glance with Angel.

"What? What is it? Please tell me. I've been trying to find him for years. I need to see him. It's important. Did he quit? I know he never could stay in one place for long, but–"

"What's your name?" Angel interrupted her frantic ranting.

"Erin, Erin Doyle. I'm his sister."


	2. He Was a Hero

There was a wave of hushed silence and shock that washed over the room. No one spoke a word for what seemed to be a lifetime. Everyone and everything was still, even their breath was held in that moment.

"You-" Cordelia stammered, "you're his what?"

"His sister."

"He had a sister?" She questioned, looking to Angel who was equally surprised.

"He never told you about me, did he?" The disappointment reverberated off of the walls. "Figures. Why would he? Please, where is he?"

"Erin," Angel repeated to himself, "Irish name, but no accent."  
"I was raised here, in America. What, you don't believe me?"

"You have to understand," Wesley attempted to explain, "in our line of work, we have to be very careful, you see –"

"You want my birth certificate, my records, driver's license? You want my DNA? What?" She dug around in her bag and then threw a wrinkled piece of paper at Angel, who instantly caught it. "There. I've kept it with me ever since – It doesn't matter. He's my brother. He's my brother and I want to see him."

Angel studied the document in his hands. The girl's name rested in the middle of the birth certificate with a name printed and signed underneath it that he knew he recognized as his old friend's mother.

"You, uh, you might want to sit down –"

"I don't want to sit down. I want my brother!"

"Just come into my office and –"

"No! Just tell me where he is or –"

"He's gone."

"Gone, as in, as in, he left or –"

"I'm sorry. He's gone. He's – he's dead."

"Wh-what?" Erin backed away as Angel reached out a hand and found herself falling back into a chair. "This can't be – he's not – it's not – please no –"

She neglected to speak briefly. Her eyes shut together and her body trembled. Taking in a quivering breath, Erin opened her eyes and looked up at these strangers.

"When, when did it –" She trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

"About a month ago."

Erin swallowed and nodded her head, "How, uh, how did – what happened?"

"He sacrificed himself to protect us, to save us and a lot of other people," Cordelia answered softly. "He was a hero."

Erin stood slowly, rocking gently and biting in her lower lip with great force. She turned towards the door and then back towards these people that she had just met. Her eyes danced with confusion and grief. She opened her mouth to speak several times, but nothing audible came forth.

"So, that's it," she finally choked out, "he's gone. Everyone's gone."

She had just gotten her last word out when Erin's mind turned over to blackness and her body went limp, collapsing towards the floor. Angel reached over without hesitation and caught the girl underneath her arms. He looked down at her gently closed eyelids and partially parted lips with concern. Her face was young in its entirety, almost innocent, which contradicted everything else he sensed about her. Her fiery green eyes that had been wide merely seconds earlier were the only aspect about her that revealed her inner agedness. Her clothing also spoke volumes. Her blue jean pants were tattered and ripped open at one of the knees. Her once white sneakers were nearly completely discolored. Her buttoned top would have given her a pleasant feminine touch if it hadn't been wrinkled and slit in one of the sleeves. Angel examined her carefully as he lifted her into his arms and proceeded to take her down to his living space. Cordelia and Wesley swiftly followed. Angel gently laid the unconscious girl on his bed and covered her with a small blanket. Once outside of the room, he joined his friends in his kitchen.

"I can't believe this," Cordelia finally spoke after the three shared a silent moment. "Why didn't he tell us this?"

"Why didn't he tell us a lot of things?" Angel countered.

"Angel," Wesley began, "what do you plan on doing with this girl? She appears to be homeless and letting her leave in her current condition could be highly dangerous."

"Doyle wasn't the only one hiding things from us." Angel noted. "There's something she isn't saying."

"You two are going to have to slow down because I am still trying to take in the fact that he had a sister and that she is here, unconscious in your bed." Cordelia cut in.

"Well," Angel started, "what can we do? She's not lying. I could sense it. And that birth certificate was authentic."

"Speaking of which," Cordelia began, "who carries around their own birth certificate?"

"Someone desperate to find their brother. You remember what she said at first? She said that she needed to find him, that it was important. She was terrified. She's running from something."

Cordelia sighed, "When you're scared and running, who better to run to than your big brother?"

The three exchanged glances before all of them found themselves starting off in the direction of this new stranger.


	3. Running

The three friends gathered around the girl as Angel slipped a blanket around her shoulders and Wesley handed her a cup of tea. Erin accepted the offers without expression or thanks. Her eyes were glazed over with suppressed tears. She stared into the distance, not truly looking at any particular object, simply staring. They all waited for the other to speak, but mostly for Erin to begin. No one knew exactly what even to say or how to say it. They all simply sat there, heavy sighs here and there the only sounds to be heard. Angel glanced at his two friends and motioned discreetly with his eyes. They both knew their boss' signals and quietly left the room. Angel sat with Erin for several elongated minute silently and then suddenly moved to get up.

"I never knew I had a brother growing up," Erin started softly, causing Angel to turn around and return to his seat, "just like he didn't know he had a kid sister. That was until I was thirteen. I was in this awful foster home –" she broke off for a second, as if repressing memories, "so I ran away. I wanted to know about my family, my real family. So I started digging. It took me a little over a year, but I found out I had a brother and got an address. I wasn't ready to find and meet my parents yet, but maybe I could handle a brother. We met. It wasn't a Hollywood reunion or anything, heck, he didn't even believe me at first. We weren't Marsha and Greg Brady, but we made it work. Growing up from orphanage to foster home to living on the streets, I had seen a lot of, well, things. When, when he found out about his demon half, he freaked. His wife and I, we tried to help him, but he just couldn't deal. They started fighting a lot and then she left him. The two of us lived together for awhile but one day, he just took off without a word. He left what little money he had for me and was just, gone. He left a note, told me not to go looking for him. I couldn't just stay there. So, I did what I could to follow him. Nearly caught up with him a time or two, but there were – complications. Finally, Harry called me, said that she knew where my brother was. I got here as quick as I could."

Angel was slightly surprised at the sudden surplus of information. It was as if it didn't matter what Erin said, she just needed someone, anyone, to talk to, to say anything to.

"When you came in yesterday, you said that you needed to see Doyle, that it was important."

"Yeah, uh, just finding him was important, that's all."

He could sense the hesitation in her voice and noted the way she deliberately averted his eyes. He paused for a moment, realizing something he hadn't thought of until just then.

"You're not part demon like him, are you?"

"Not exactly. My father was a real monster. He took advantage of my mother. Believe me, I had to keep Francis from hunting him down and killing him when I told him about it. I guess seeing me, would've reminded my mother of that man, so she gave me up. Don't ask me how she did it, but somehow she hid the pregnancy from my brother."

"You were so young, how did you put all of this together?"

"The foster family – they had a copy of all of my records, everything that the orphanage gave them. When I ran away – when I left - I stole them. They had my birth certificate, parents' names, everything. I just started from where I was born and went from there."

"How have you been surviving?"

"Sleep where I can. Eat what I can. Hitchhike when I can."

"This isn't the safest world for a young woman like yourself to be hitchhiking."

"I can take care of myself."

"Sure you can. That's why you're terrified right now."

"Wh-what? What are you talking about?"

"I can tell you're scared. And I can tell you're running from something. Why don't you let us help you?"

"I'm just fine, thanks. If I'm anything, I'm upset. I just lost my brother, you know? You want to try not giving me the third degree right after –" She broke off and swallowed hard. "Can you just leave me alone, please?"

"Sure. We're all right upstairs if you need anything."

Erin neglected to show any form of a response to his statement as Angel reluctantly stood and walked slowly out of the room. As he approached the top of the stairs, he paused as a small sound emerged from his living area. He stood there quietly and simply listened for a moment to the soft consistent pounding. The muffled blows to what Angel recognized as the sound of his punching bag grew steadily and Angel bowed his head in sorrow for this girl.

Upstairs, Cordelia and Wesley sat solemnly at the front desk, exchanging occasional sighs and glances.

"How are you holding up?" Wesley finally broke the silence.

Cordelia sat up in her chair and ran her fingers through the hair across her scalp. She let out a labored breath before finally answering.

"I just wish he would've told us. I just wish he would've told me a lot of things before – I wish you could've met him. I doubt the two of you would've gotten along but your fighting skills and horrible fashion senses certainly both matched." She paused and looked down at the floor for a moment. "I miss him Wesley."

Wesley nodded with an empathetic frown as Angel entered the room.

"Wes, I need you to find everything you can on Erin, especially her father. Start with the files she keeps with her."

"But she keeps them in her bag. You expect her to just give them up freely –"

"No, I don't" Angel remarked as he removed his hand from behind his back and tossed Wesley a stack of files.

"You stole a grieving girl's personal effects?"

"Borrowed." Angel clarified. "She's in trouble, but she won't admit it. She's not telling us everything."

"She's definitely Doyle's sister." Cordelia remarked. "Secrets, hidden and tortured past, wait, are we sure she's not related to you, Angel?" She asked with a smug smile.

"Cordy, watch after her. She's been running most of her life, she'll probably try to again."

"What do you want me to do? Hold her against her will, maybe threaten her with an axe or something?"

"Just, talk to her. We can't let her go off on her own."

"It's something bad," Wesley questioned seriously, "isn't it?"

"Yeah," Angel answered with a sigh, "I can feel it."

"So can I" Cordelia murmured as her body lurched backwards and she swiftly brought her hands to her head. The chair she was in slid back against the wall as Angel and Wesley both rushed over to her side and held her up underneath her shaking arms.

"What is it? What do you see?"

"A girl – a teenager – she's being attacked. Oh – she's in so much pain. It's a vampire. I don't recognize the – wait – street sign. Fifth – Fifth Street."

"Vampire?" Wesley questioned "It's the middle of the day."

"It's not happening now."

"When," Angel asked with concern, "when is it happening?"

"I don't – I don't know. The time is all fuzzy. Tonight maybe? I don't know. It was dark – night." She paused and closed her eyes for a moment and rubbed circles on her temples.

"It's okay." Angel reassured. "I'll go there tonight, when the sun goes down. Right now, we've got work to do."


	4. Something Big

The night air was mild and the wind calm. The blackened sky seemed almost drowned out by the cluster of city lights that decorated the lofty buildings' windows. Angel scanned up and down the nearly desolate downtown street. It was lined with nothing but boarded up houses and crumbling buildings.

"You see anything?" Wesley questioned, glancing up from his notes in the passenger seat.

"Nothing. I don't get it."

"Maybe it just hasn't happened yet."

"Maybe. You got anything?"

"Not much. Everything she said is true from what I can tell. Then there is this." Adjusting his glasses, Wesley held up a wrinkled and torn newspaper clipping. It was in poor shape, just as everything else was in Erin's possessions, but the ink on this article had been smeared by what seemed like rain and was nearly illegible. 'Murder Shakes Sleepy Town.'"

"What murder?"

"It's hard to make out. Most of the words have become indecipherable. It's something about the murder of a woman. From the picture, she looks as though she was in her 50s, possibly. Something about a mysterious death and that the murderer has not been found. That's all I can make out in its current condition. There's no name, no date, visible. I will have to do some research tomorrow morning as to who this woman is."

"And why she's so important to Erin. Maybe the thing that killed this woman, maybe this is what she's running from."

"I pray not." He turned the article towards Angel, revealing a photograph paper clipped to its side of the woman who resembled the one in the paper, except in this one she was bruised and blood covered. Her entire face was disfigured and her thick curls were matted and stained with red.

"Erin? Hello?" Cordelia crept slowly down the steps to Angel's living space. "Erin?"

The girl suddenly appeared from the bedroom behind her and answered, causing Cordelia to jump and turn around suddenly.

"Sorry," Erin remarked, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, no, it's okay. You'd think I'd be used to that by now with Angel popping up unannounced all the time."

"Did you want something?" Erin asked in a monotone manner.

"Uh, no, me? No, I was just, uh –"

"You were checking on me, weren't you?"

"No, well, we want to,  _I_  want to, make sure you're okay. That's all."

"I'm fine, really."

"Well, do you want to maybe hang out, talk. I know there's not a whole lot to do, you know, for fun around here, unless you enjoy reading musty old books or playing with ancient weapons –"

"I know what you're doing, but please, don't. I get it, you're trying to be nice. I also understand that your boss thinks I need help, that I'm in some sort of trouble and has it set in his mind to help me."

"Angel's good at helping people."

"Then let him help someone else. Right now, can you just leave me alone?"

"Oh come on, let me take you out somewhere."

"It's the middle of the night."

"It's L.A. Nothing is ever closed. Believe me. I know a great cure for, well, just about everything. Shopping."

"Wait a minute. I know what this is. Angel, he thinks I'm going to run off. You're not trying to be nice. You're trying to keep me here." She shook her head in disbelief and headed to grab her bag.

"Please, it's not like that."

"Tell your boss that I don't need a babysitter."

"Please don't go –"

A loud crash from upstairs interrupted their quarrel and they both glanced up at the ceiling.

"Time to play with ancient weapons?" Erin questioned.

Cordelia nodded and turned towards the weapons' cabinet. By the time she turned around, a tall and muscular man was standing at the foot of the steps. At least, by first glance he appeared to be a man. The heavy bags underneath his eyes and his lifeless gaze said differently. His skin was pasty, but not like that of a vampire's.

"Erin, run!"

"Um, where?"

Cordelia turned her head towards the back entrance as another creature made its way through the door. This one was different. He had two small horns protruding from forehead and a sandy colored skin tone. The two of them were slowly being surrounded. Cordelia searched for a weapon of some sort and quickly pulled an axe off of the wall as Erin did the same with a short sword.

"Don't worry Erin," Cordelia reassured, "this is the part where Angel always swoops in and –"

Before she could finish speaking, the demon lunged towards Erin, who was quick to react. She leapt backward to avoid contact and then brought her leg up to a kick. Her foot hit the creature directly in the face and it stumbled backwards. Cordelia watched briefly in shock as this strange girl held her own with this beast. She could gawk for long as the zombie she was facing, came closer. In fear she closed her eyes and began flailing the axe about, piercing flesh with nearly every blind stroke. Still, the creature did not fall.

"What is your deal?" Cordelia cried out as she continued whacking the undead monster.

"Chop off its head!" Erin ordered as she tossed her bladed weapon at Cordelia.

Cordelia dropped her axe in time to catch the sword. Squealing, she made a hasty swing at the zombie's neck and watched in horror as its head tumbled to the ground, followed by its twitching body. Cordelia shivered in disgust as she spun around just in time to witness Erin knocking the monster to the ground. They connected eyes and Erin held out her hand as Cordelia passed her the sword. Without hesitation, Erin pierced the demon's chest and it jerked for a few moments before letting out its last breath.

"You – you – you just killed a demon. How –"

"No big deal" Erin remarked. "He was about as slow moving and weak as your zombie pal."

"Okay, spill. Why is some undead guy and some horned demon trying to kill you?"

"Who said they were after me? You guys  _do_ fight evil. Maybe some decided to fight back."

Cordelia eyed the new house guest suspiciously. There was a vibe that she simply could not shake with this girl. She knew now more than ever that Erin was definitely hiding something, and it was something big.


	5. Mother

"You should've seen her Angel," Cordelia continued retelling the events of the previous night to her coworkers the next morning. "She knew how to kill the zombie thing. She knew how to use a sword and she took on a demon, by herself."

"From the looks of it, it was a young Shallock demon. Shallocks tend not to be highly skilled fighters or even possess great strength, although it would still pose a threat to your average human."

"That's what I am saying. She took down this Shamrock thing –"

"Shallock." Wesley corrected.

"Whatever." Cordelia shook her head. "The point is, something is up with her Angel. Come on, you're the one with the big spidey sense, so, sense, mister!"

"I know she's running from something or someone, but I can't just  _sense_ what that something or someone is. And we can't push her to talk about it either. If we push her, she'll definitely run. We just got to give her some space while we figure out what it is, without involving her."

"And you wonder why people don't trust vampires," Cordelia commented with a smirk. "Speaking of which, did you guys have any luck last night with my vision baddies?"

"There was nothing, no one."

"I don't get it. Why would the Powers send me a vision that didn't happen – or wouldn't happen or wasn't going to – oh, you know what I mean."

"I don't know. Check the papers for any attacks or deaths or anything that could be connected to your vision. Maybe it wasn't in L.A."

"Or maybe – I'll just – have another – one." Cordelia reeled backwards in pain, clutching the sides of her head firmly and grinding her teeth in agony. The new images erupted inside her mind like a violent volcano.

_"You just stay away from me."_

_"I know she's alive. Just tell me where she is."_

_"I don't know who you're talking about."_

Cordelia sighed and looked to her friends.

"It's a conversation – more like an argument. I only got a piece of it, like something was missing, something important."

"What were they saying?"

"Something about a girl. He wants to know where she is, but the woman won't tell him. It doesn't make any sense. It just stops right there."

"It's okay. Maybe more will come to you."

"This doesn't make any sense." Cordelia sighed. "First, my vision vampire is a no show, and now this? What are the Powers trying to do here?"

"Maybe they aren't  _doing_  anything." The three turned around to see Erin leaning against the doorway. "Maybe they aren't doing anything because they're not real or they just don't care."

"Cordelia receives visions from them so that we may help people," Wesley remarked.

"Help people. Right. Is that why they hurt so much? If these  _Powers_ are so great, why can't they make them painless?"

"I heard you're a good fighter from what happened last night," Angel stated, changing the subject. "Where'd you learn?"

"I was on the streets for most of my life. You learn." She paused and shifted uneasily. "Look, you guys have been great. Nosy and overly helpful, but great. I should be going now. I've stayed here long enough."

"It's up to you," Angel noted, "but you can stay as long as you like."

"Yeah," Erin shrugged, "I'll get my things."

Angel looked back at his two friends with troubled eyes as Erin made her way downstairs. It wasn't long before Erin was rushing back up the stairs with her bag in one hand, and her other hand clutching a dark object behind her back.

"Where are they?"

"What are –" Angel was cut off as Erin lifted a gun towards him.

"My stuff, you stole it all. The papers, my files, my birth certificate, it's all gone. Where is it?"

"It's all right here," Wesley assured as he lifted a stack of papers off of the desk.

"What are you doing with them? You – you're – you work for him, don't you?"

"We don't work for anyone, just –"

"Just what? Just forget the fact that you stole those from me, that you lied to me? Did you lie to me about what happened to my brother too? Did he really die, or was he killed? Did you kill him? Did you?"

"No –"

"Stop lying!" In anger, her finger squeezed the trigger uncontrollably and the crisp resonance of a shot rang out.

The bullet soared through the air and penetrated Angel's shoulder, causing him to stagger backwards. As an instantaneous reaction to the shock and pain, Angel reeled his head back and his vampire facial form took over. Erin stood frozen for a moment, her hand the only part of her that was moving. It trembled, along with the gun that still rested tight within it. Her blood ran cold and she could feel her heart skip more than a couple beats. She didn't know what paralyzed her more, the fact that she had shot someone, or the fact that who she shot was not a someone, but a something. Angel quickly retracted his demonic face but it was far too late.

"You – you – you're –"

"It's not what you think."

"I knew it!" Erin exclaimed, breaking from her trance. "You are with him!"

"Please," Angel begged as he stepped forward, "let me explain."

"You just stay away from me!" She turned and ran through the front door before saying another word.

The phrase lingered in Cordelia's mind like a horrible itch that she simply could not reach. Angel hurried after her but the blast of sunlight from the open door caused him to stop.

"I'll get her." Wesley offered and began to head to the door when Cordelia collapsed to the floor.

_"You just stay away from me."_

_"I know she's alive. Just tell me where she is."_

_"I don't know who you're talking about."_

_"She is my daughter. I have the right –"_

_"You have no rights! You have nothing. You are nothing. You're just a – a monster!"_

_"You know I will find her. If not through you, then through your pathetic half breed of a son."_

_"Don't you touch him. Don't you go near him."_

_"Your family will die. There is one up side for you though. You won't be around to watch your children suffer."_

"It's – it's the one from before. They have a – a daughter. She won't tell him. He's – he's beating her. Oh my – he's killing her."

Cordelia reluctantly watched as the rest of the tragic vision played out in her mind and then relayed the conversation to her friends.

"She was so torn up." Cordelia whimpered. "He just wouldn't stop."

Wesley quickly reached over and grabbed one of the files off the desk and opened it, placing it in Cordelia's quivering hands.

"Is that the woman you saw?"

Cordelia stared at the two contrasting photographs for a moment and then nodded solemnly.

"Cordelia, in your vision yesterday, do you remember what the girl who was being attacked looked like?"

"A teenager – I don't know – thirteen or fourteen maybe. She was average height I guess. Long dark hair. From the looks of her clothes, probably homeless."

"Then my suspicions are true." Wesley noted. "I don't believe these visions are of events to come, but of things that have already come to pass. Angel, you said Erin told you that she went looking for her brother when she was thirteen. She made the remark earlier about living on the streets and fighting. The way it sounds, she is quite a skilled fighter, most likely picked up from life or death scenarios. And then there's this –" He pointed at the newspaper photograph.

"Who is she?" Cordelia questioned.

"Doyle's mother." Angel spoke solemnly.

"Which also makes her Erin's biological mother as well. This man who killed her, you said was her father?" Cordelia nodded. "Angel said that she called her father a monster. Maybe she wasn't exaggerating. I believe this is who she is running from."

"Good work, Wes" Angel nodded. "Now we just have to find her before he does."


	6. Hello, Daughter

"It's getting late" Angel noted as he peered out at the diming sky through the small office window. "Any word from Wesley or Gunn?"

"Wesley has been driving up and down the neighborhood streets, so far nothing. Gunn said that if he or one of his friends finds her, he will bring her someplace safe and let us know. Seeing how that boy doesn't own a phone, there's no way to check in."

"Sun's going down," Angel stepped away from the window, "I'm going to go look for her. Stay here in case she comes back. I tracked her to Mason Street from the sewers earlier, but couldn't surface. I'll start there."

"Call me," Cordelia started as Angel already was out the door, "if you find her." She finished and then glanced over at her boss's desk. A small rectangular phone rested on its corner. "Or not." She sighed.

Cordelia sat at her desk, rolling a pencil back and forth underneath her hand. She couldn't stand the simple sitting and waiting. The night hours ticked by and Cordelia became more worried by the minute. Stopping the pencil's momentum, she lifted a hand to her head. Just a headache, she prayed. A sudden wave washed over her mind and she hunched over in her chair. Her head spun with flashing images.

_"Hello, daughter."_

_Erin backed away slowly._

_"You have no idea how long I've been looking for you, what I've had to do to find you, sweetheart. You're special, Erin. I want you to come home with me."_

_"No," Erin whimpered. "I won't."_

_"I was hoping it wouldn't have to be this way."_

"I see her," Cordelia began, still bent over with her head down, "it's Erin. He's with her. I can't tell where they are. He – He has demons with him –"

Cordelia opened her eyes and slowly looked up to the empty room she had been frantically talking to. Suddenly realizing she was on the floor, she used the chair to hoist herself and blindly reached for the phone. As her hand touched the receiver, something else touched her. She gasped and glanced up quickly to meet the gaze of a stranger that somehow appeared familiar.

"Where is she?"

Cordelia moved to stand and back away but the man grasped a hold of her wrist and held it there firmly.

"I'm sorry. I don't know who you're talking about. We are a detective agency, sort of. If you're looking for someone I could call my boss and –"

"I already know she's here."

"Then why'd you ask me where she is? You're sending mixed messages buddy and –"

He pulled tighter on her arm, drawing her closer to him. She winced in pain but attempted to stay calm.

"Look pal, I'm the only one here right now."

"Oh really?" He questioned with a sickening smirk. "So, if I were to, let's say, kill you, no one would be here to stop me or see it happen?"

"Well, not exactly right now," Cordelia stammered, mentally kicking herself in the head, "but, my boss is coming back any minute and he's a va – very good fighter. Any second now, he'll come bursting through those doors right there and save me and kick your ass." She paused and the two of them stared at the front entrance. "Sometimes he bursts through the back door or – or a window. But he'll be here. He's always here right at the last minute. So, you better –"

"I better what? Kill you quickly?"

"Let her go." A voice demanded from the behind them.

The two turned to see Erin standing in the doorway. Her assertive posture and hard expression both visibly faded when she met with the man's eyes.

"No." She whispered.

"Hello, daughter."

Erin backed away slowly. Her breathing staggered and her heart raced. She had never been more terrified than she was in that single moment. Hearing that phrase out of that monster's mouth was poison. The word daughter nearly knocked her backwards.

"You have no idea how long I've been looking for you, what I've had to do to find you, sweetheart. You're special, Erin. I want you to come home with me."

"No," Erin whimpered. "I won't."

"I was hoping it wouldn't have to be this way."

Two demons entered behind her and grabbed her by her arms forcefully. She struggled futilely.

"What?" Erin questioned, attempting to sound confident but her worry seeping through. "These are your muscle now? Demons? You can't kill me yourself like you did my mother? Like you did David? You destroyed my family."

"I am your family." The man responded with a grin. "I hired them to take out your brother once I got your whereabouts from him. I came to L.A. because I knew he was here. Then I heard about this little pathetic operation"

"Hey!" Cordelia interrupted.

"– he was working for. I didn't particularly want to face a vampire on my own. Then I found out that I had been beaten to the punch. You're excuse for a brother was already dead when I got here. But then, then I get the most wonderful news. My daughter is in town. You've come here to warn Francis about me."

"I'm not your daughter." Erin spouted, her fear still evident.

"Oh, yes, yes you are." Erin's father let out another wild grin. "My,  _friends,_ here, are not only for your brother. I sent those two lug heads after you as a test. I wanted to see how well you would do and you passed with flying colors."

"A test? What are you –?"

"Haven't you ever wondered why you are such a skilled fighter? Haven't you ever wondered how you, as a young girl with no previous training, were able to survive on the streets, against vampires and others that wished you harm? I told you already, Erin. You're special."

"Don't say my name and stop saying that. I'm not –"

"Yes you are. This why I've come looking for you after all these years. I watch after all of my,  _investments_. I've kept tabs on you since you were born."

"That foster family. Those horrible people. They were –" She paused, suddenly realizing.

"They were under my employment, yes. Do you remember that one night, when you were walking home from school? Those men attacked you, tried to hurt you."

"You – you sent them."

"I did. It was another test. You were barely thirteen years old but you got away. Any other child would have been killed. You could sense what they were going to do, couldn't you? You knew they were following you. You knew exactly where they were going to grab you. Just like you knew what that demon was going to do the other night. You knew, because you read their minds."

"No – that's – I didn't –"

"It's just in flashes right now, I know. It's confusing and scary. I can help you. I can help you train yourself to be able to do it all the time, not just when you're scared. Right now, it's triggered by your emotions. I can help you control it."

"You're crazy. I can't read minds. I'm not a witch. I'm not part demon. I'm –"

"The descendent of one of the richest families in the country. My mother had the gift too, as did her grandfather. You could have anything you wanted, Erin. Money, fame, anything. Just come and work with me."

"No." Erin shook her head and bit her lip, holding back hot tears.

"Like I said before, I was hoping it didn't have to be this way."

Without warning, he lifted a gun out of his inside coat pocket and pointed it towards Cordelia's shaking head.


	7. Not My Father

"What is it going to be Erin?"

The man held the pistol steady merely inches away from Cordelia's forehead. Cordelia closed her eyes for a brief moment and took in a breath. It wasn't the first time a gun had been put to her head, but her heart still raced with every lingering second that Erin failed to speak.

"Please, don't –"

"You're so weak. What do you care about her? You don't even know her. What, don't want another person's death on your conscious? Like your mothers?"

"Just don't hurt her." Erin stammered as she locked eyes with Cordelia.

"I won't," her father assured, "if you come willingly."

"Look, you got me. Your demon friends have me, I can't fight. Just –"

"Oh please," the man groaned, "Do you think I'm stupid? I know you could take both of these buffoons out. My real prize fighters are outside just in case this Angel character decides to show up and try to play hero."

"I'll go with you. Just don't shoot her."

"Okay, okay." He said lowering his weapon. "You see, I can be reasonable. I may be a strict father but –"

"You're not my father. No matter what you do, no matter what you say. You're not my father." She paused. "But I'll go with you if you don't hurt her."

"Fine." He snapped. "Take her outside."

As the demons led Erin out through the door, a sudden whisper slid through Erin's mind and she abruptly turned back.

"He's lying!" She screamed fervently. "He's lying!"

Erin struggled to go back, but was held back firmly. They were still in the hall, just outside the office when Erin began fighting her way free. Just as she broke the demons' grip, a gunshot echoed through the night. Erin froze and dropped her jaw.

"No." She whimpered, her breathing stopping short.

Her mind reeled, memories overpowering her.

_"No, Mom, I haven't found him yet"_

" _You shouldn't be calling me. I told you to disappear._

" _Mom, please –"_

" _Erin –"_

"  _Don't- don't worry about me., I'll be fine."_

" _Where are you?"_

_Erin failed to respond as she closed her eyes and sighed at her mother's undeniable intuition._

" _I'm in town." Erin finally admitted._

" _You shouldn't be here. He's – You –"_

" _I couldn't be alone anymore. I missed you. I needed to come back, just to see you, just for a little while."_

_There was the soft sound of stifled sobs coming from the other end of the line and Erin's heart raced._

"–  _Mom? Is there something wrong? – Did something happen?"_

" _He knows, Erin."_

"  _No, no –"_

" _He found me."_

" _How did he –"_

" _He called me. This morning, he called me, asking me about you."_

" _You need to leave. You need to get out of that place, this town –"_

" _No-"_

" _Mom, he'll come after you, just like he did David – Oh my – Francis! If he can find you then he can find him – Mom, I'll find him, I'll find him and I'll warn him. You just need to leave, now –"_

" _I'm your mother; I am supposed to take care of my children. I'm supposed to take care of you, to protect you."_

" _I don't need protecting, Mom. I just need you safe. If he asks where I am, you tell him -"_

" _No-"_

" _Yes!"_

" _I can't –"_

" _You do it! Mom, you do it or he will kill you. I can't have you die for me too. Just get out of the house now and run. Go anywhere but there. Please –"_

" _There's someone at the door."_

" _Don't answer it! Get out of there, Mom, please."_

_There was a loud wooden crash and Erin heard her mother's loud gasp clearly before the phone went dead._

_Erin hung up her own phone and raced away from the lonely payphone. Her feet couldn't carry her fast enough across the town that separated her and her mother. She sprinted down several blocks before realizing taking the trip by foot was futile. As her body began to give out, she imagined what could happen to her mother and her adrenaline suddenly kicked in. Her speed came back and she didn't stop until she reached the dilapidated motel. She scanned the small building, resting her eyes on the cracked open door of room number three. Erin didn't miss a beat as she swerved through the parking lot and burst through the already open door. In that moment, she couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. Her body became limp and she collapsed to her knees. Her eyes stared intently at the disfigured body on the floor in front of her. Her mother's eyes remained open, gazing back into Erin's. Erin couldn't remember how long she simply sat there without making a sound or movement. Eventually, her mind turned back on and she shakily stood. She could no longer bear the site of her deceased mother and she turned and ran from the room until her legs would no longer carry her._

The resonance of the crisp gunshot still hung in the air as Erin stared at the closed door. Behind it remained her father and Cordelia. For a moment, all was silent and Erin feared the worst.


	8. David

"Let go of me! Let me go!" Erin writhed and screamed at the top of her worn out lungs as the demons carried her out of the building and to a dark vehicle parked nearby.

She kicked backwards hard and the demon holding her right side stumbled backwards. With only seconds to spare, Erin spun herself hard, catching the second creature off guard and pulling herself free. She sprinted for the entrance but felt her arm being jerked back, followed by the rest of her body. Two vampires joined the fight to restrain her. The propelled her body into the side of the car. Her elbow collided with the side window and it shattered instantly. Erin gripped a piece of broken glass and swiftly stuck it into one of the demon's chest. He growled in pain and let his bulky fist collide with her face. She stumbled backwards but ducked down to avoid the second attempted blow. The four of them surrounded her as she backed against the vehicle. She managed to dodge a few hits before they overpowered her. She knew every move they were going to make before they made them but the chaos of thoughts clouded her mind and hindered her instead of aiding in her combat. With one on one fighting, it had felt simply like instinct, a small whisper in the back of her head. Now it was as if these creatures were screaming inside of her skull. She could not tell one thought from the next. Her head reeled back in agony and she quickly brought her hands up to her temples. The shrill whispers grew as the fighting persisted. Erin was barely aware of her body and was surprised when she suddenly found herself facedown on the cold cement sidewalk. Her chin collided hard with the rough ground and her shoulders slumped over in surrender. The two vampires were hoisting her to her feet when a slew of gunfire broke out from the inside of the building. A number of shots were fired off until all went silent. Erin stared up through the lit window in terror.

"Get her in the car, now!" A voice called out.

Erin looked up to see her father running down the front steps of the building and towards them. She screamed as the vampires pushed her towards the vehicle again. They tossed her beaten body into the front passenger side and quickly slammed the door. She reached for the handle but found nothing. It had been removed and the lock was jammed down into place. As she was about to make her way to the driver's side door, a new figure appeared in the midst of all the creatures. She allowed herself a small grin as he locked eyes with her.

"Let her go." He commanded with brute force in his tone.

"You really need to work on your negotiating skills." Erin's father chided as he moved slowly towards the front of the car. "I mean really, you didn't even state your offer."

"Fine let her go and maybe I won't kill you. I try hard not to kill humans but I think, in this case, I might make an exception."

"Pretty good," the man nodded. "Here's my counter."

He turned his back and the demons and vampires charged towards Angel. Erin dove for the driver's seat but was beat to it by her father. He slid inside, the gun facing her head. Without hesitation, he put his foot down and roared off into the night.

Angel found little trouble with his attackers. Two of them were already greatly injured from their struggle with Erin and posed very little threat. As Angel dusted the first vampire and sent one of the demons flying into the path of a speeding semi, the other two backed away and then hurried away as to avoid certain death. Angel searched the streets for the vehicle that had carried Erin away, but found nothing. As he was about to begin the search, a car screeched to a halt in front of him. Angel hopped in the passenger side without hesitation as Wesley reached the curb.

"Black four door, go." Angel commanded.

Wesley pressed on the gas and sped down the streets as instructed by Angel.

"I don't see anything." Wesley noted after a short while.

"Damn it." Angel exclaimed. "Where would he take her? Hold on, stop the car. Stop the car."

Wesley stomped on the brakes as hard as he possibly could and looked over at his boss with a peculiar glance. Angel paused and lifted his head in the air.

"She's hurt." Angel noted. "She's bleeding. They turned down here!"

Wesley hung a sharp right and the two continued in pursuit.

Erin continued to push her weight against the locked passenger door violently.

"You're only going to hurt yourself."

"What do you care?"

"You've got three options here. You can keep pounding away until your shoulder is black and blue, you can maybe get the door open but then have to jump out of a speeding car and most likely not survive the fall, or continue to backtalk your father and end up with a bullet where your brain is supposed to be."

"You won't shoot me." Erin attempted to sound confident again but there was something about this man that mentally and emotionally paralyzed her. "You need me."

"Such a clever girl. You get that from me you know. Your mother didn't have any brains. Let herself get killed."

"She didn't let herself get killed, you murdered her."

"I did you a favor young lady! She was holding you back. You were stronger on the streets, fighting to survive, honing your  _skills_. Then you went and found your pathetic mother and brother, even got yourself a serious boyfriend. They were holding you back! Especially that David fellow. Two young kids like yourselves talking about marriage! No daughter of mine is going to marry at such a young age."

"I told you before I'm not your daughter and don't you talk about David, ever! Don't even say his name!"

Erin deliberately held back tears as memories flooded her head.

_"What do you want to watch tonight? Action or comedy?" His voice echoed through Erin's mind._

_"Surprise me."_

_"Well, it looks like the motel is running a special on 'Night of Love XXX'."_

_"Ha-ha. Very funny. Maybe the VCR will work in this one. There was a rental place down the street."_

_"What's on the menu for supper tonight?"_

_"Why, only the finest Chinese take-out this side of town."_

_"Yum, more rice."_

_The two were silent for a moment as Erin sighed and sucked in her lips solemnly._

_"You know, you don't have to do this." She said softly. "I'd understand if you –"_

_"Yes, I do have to do this. He's your brother. Your long-lost-didn't-know-he existed-twisted-Oprah-type-of-reunion-brother, but he's family. You want to find him. I get that, and I want to help however I can. If that means sleeping on beds of cardboard in questionable motels and eating white rice every day for the rest of the year, then I'm there. I want to be with you, no matter what. Besides, it's not like I was going to let you go off and do this on your own. Someone needs to be here to protect you." He paused and then grinned mischievously as Erin rolled her eyes. "Plus, I think it'd be way cool to see your brother's demon half."_

_"Oh, how romantic." Erin stated, rolling her eyes._

_"It's just the son of a Demonology expert in me I guess. My dad studied them all the time and I saw all sorts of pictures, but never got to meet one."_

_"Trust me, most of them aren't worth meeting. This is dangerous and I worry about you getting hurt."_

_"And I would worry about you getting hurt if I wasn't here with you, so we're even. Deal with it. I'm here to stay and there's nothing you can do about it."_

Erin continued to push herself against the unmovable door until her body couldn't take anymore and she surrendered.

"Finally," her father groaned. "That banging was giving me a migraine. Are you done having your little tantrum now?"

"Tantrum? You kidnapped me."

"You're my daughter sweetheart, I can't kidnap you. Besides, you said you would come freely."

"That was before you killed my friend."

"Hey now. I've killed a lot of people in my line of work, but I will not be taken as a liar. I keep my word. Your little brunette friend is just fine. I didn't shoot until that vampire came at me."

Erin breathed a great internal sigh of relief as she stared out the window at the fast moving scenery go by.

"In time, you'll grow to love this life. The money, the prestige, having anything you want. I'll use you to do my business and in return, you'll have it all. Isn't that what all father's want for their children? To give them the world. I can give you the world and in time, you will thank me for it. Maybe you'll one day even understand why I did what I did, why I killed them, and maybe even thank me for that too."

A sudden rage erupted inside Erin's being and without thinking she reached over and grabbed hold of the steering wheel, jerking it to the side. The car swerved and violently fishtailed as it went off the road and onto the grass. All Erin saw was the spinning of the images outside of the car before everything suddenly came to a stop and the world around her went black.


	9. Hurting Eyes

_"Alright David, we've got your favorite TV dinners and they're showing some old black and white horror movie on channel 2 tonight so maybe –"_

_Erin froze as she finished setting down her items on the table closest to the door and turned around. For a moment her brain could not comprehend what she was seeing in front of her. Her breathing collapsed, as did her body. Her mind reeled and spun and her heart broke apart, shattering into small shards of agony. A soft moan emerged from the motionless body atop the bed. Erin shot up and sprinted over to her boyfriend. She stroked his sweat soaked hair with shaking hands and searched his weak eyes with her own._

_"David," she spoke soothingly, "I'm here."_

_"Hey," he choked out with a painful smile. "Chicken and potatoes?" He questioned hoarsely._

_Erin laughed in spite of the ache in her chest. "Yeah, chicken and potatoes."_

_"With the brownie?"_

_"With the brownie." Erin nodded solemnly._

_They both were quiet for a moment as Erin looked over her fading boyfriend. His head was decorating with swelling discolored circular marks and he had a thin red line streaming from his nose to his lips. Erin cupped her quivering hand over the open wound that pumped out fatal amounts of blood along the side of his neck._

_"I tried to fight them," he revealed through small coughs._

_"Shh," Erin urged him to not speak but he wouldn't comply._

_"They didn't kill me. They didn't – Vampires. They – they asked me where you were. They – I wouldn't tell – I wouldn't tell them. They hurt me. I said – I told them you were in Canada - Canada. Then they left."_

_"I don't, I don't understand –"_

_"Your father."_

_"What?" Erin sat up straight in shock at the words._

_"They said – they said your father sent them. He's looking for you. Don't let him find you. Don't."_

_"I won't. I won't." Erin reassured softly. "Just rest. You're going to be okay. Just rest."_

_"I'm – I'm just going to close my eyes, just for a second, just for a second."_

_David's breathing steadied and then slowed as his eyes fluttered and then fell closed. His chest rose and then sank deeply and failed to arise again. Erin's eyes danced feverishly as she looked over the body. In a daze, Erin backed away from the bed, breathing in deeply with each slow step. As her back reached the wall, she slid down it suddenly and leaned over to her side, gagging uncontrollably. After a few moments, Erin wiped her mouth with the corner of her sleeve and looked back up longingly at the figure on the cheap motel bed that was once the one person she loved the most._

Erin coughed and her eyes unwillingly fluttered open. Every inch of her body pulsed with aches and sores. A sharp pounding reverberated off the inside walls of her skull as she reached up to examine her new gash painted across her forehead. In a haze, she finally looked around and remembered the preceding events. Her eyes slowly fell on the unconscious man that sat slumped over with his face against the steering wheel. She examined his motionless body in silence and then moved her search to the inside of the car. Finally, she found what she was looking for resting atop the dashboard. Erin reached up and grasped the weapon without hesitation. With the gun in hand, she went to open her door but was instantly reminded of feeble attempts at pushing it open earlier. Using the handle of the pistol, Erin began pounding against the glass window of her door. Reaching through the newly created opening, Erin maneuvered around and pulled the outside handle as hard as she could. The door fell open and Erin quickly crawled out, glancing back at her comatose kidnapper every few seconds. As her body hit the grass, she released a great sigh or relief followed by a small cough of pain. Slowly, Erin forced herself to her feet and around to the other side of the car. In a rage she yanked the driver's side door open and lifted the gun towards her father's head. Her balance wavered and she couldn't tell if it was from her physical frailty or something internal. She loathed this man in every possible form, yet still her finger hesitated on the trigger. It hovered there for several moments before Erin repositioned herself with her other hand cradling the gun for further support and her knees slightly bent. She held that stance for a period of time that she could not count. Her body and mind were numb. Time became irrelevant. All that mattered was the gun in her hand and the man who had murdered her mother and who had had David attacked and killed. Her fingertips danced with the trigger as her breathing deepened. Releasing a heavy and broken sigh, Erin finally lowered the gun to her side.

"Erin."

Erin turned around to see Angel and Wesley jogging towards her from the side of the road. She locked eyes with both of them and no one needed to say a word. Exhaling, Erin began taking small steps towards her new friends.

"Erin!"

Angel's voice pierced the silence. Erin quickly spun around in time to see her awakened father in an enraged lunge towards her, a blade of broken glass in his hand. Without hesitation, Erin lifted the gun that was still in her hand and squeezed the small trigger three times before her father's body crumpled to the ground. Her breath instantly caught in her throat and she staggered backwards. She couldn't speak and she could barely move. The weapon trembled in her uncertain hands. Her wide eyes would not remove themselves from the dead body that laid before her. Erin had felt shock before and had certainly felt diverse sorts of pain on numerous occasions, but the feeling that overtook her at that moment was somehow different. Only minutes ago she had imagined that that same act would have possibly brought her pleasure or some sense of justice. Now, it simply made her stomach knot. She scarcely realized Angel as he appeared at her side and lowered her arms, carefully removing the weapon from her hands. Startled, she glanced over at him with confused and hurting eyes.

**Chapter One:** **This Is My Life**

_"Alright David, we've got your favorite TV dinners and they're showing some old black and white horror movie on channel 2 tonight so maybe –"_

_Erin froze as she finished setting down her items on the table closest to the door and turned around. For a moment her brain could not comprehend what she was seeing in front of her. Her breathing collapsed, as did her body. Her mind reeled and spun and her heart broke apart, shattering into small shards of agony. A soft moan emerged from the motionless body atop the bed. Erin shot up and sprinted over to her boyfriend. She stroked his sweat soaked hair with shaking hands and searched his weak eyes with her own._

_"David," she spoke soothingly, "I'm here."_

_"Hey," he choked out with a painful smile. "Chicken and potatoes?" He questioned hoarsely._

_Erin laughed in spite of the ache in her chest. "Yeah, chicken and potatoes."_

_"With the brownie?"_

_"With the brownie." Erin nodded solemnly._

_They both were quiet for a moment as Erin looked over her fading boyfriend. His head was decorating with swelling discolored circular marks and he had a thin red line streaming from his nose to his lips. Erin cupped her quivering hand over the open wound that pumped out fatal amounts of blood along the side of his neck._

_"I tried to fight them," he revealed through small coughs._

_"Shh," Erin urged him to not speak but he wouldn't comply._

_"They didn't kill me. They didn't – Vampires. They – they asked me where you were. They – I wouldn't tell – I wouldn't tell them. They hurt me. I said – I told them you were in Canada - Canada. Then they left."_

_"I don't, I don't understand –"_

_"Your father."_

_"What?" Erin sat up straight in shock at the words._

_"They said – they said your father sent them. He's looking for you. Don't let him find you. Don't."_

_"I won't. I won't." Erin reassured softly. "Just rest. You're going to be okay. Just rest."_

_"I'm – I'm just going to close my eyes, just for a second, just for a second."_

_David's breathing steadied and then slowed as his eyes fluttered and then fell closed. His chest rose and then sank deeply and failed to arise again. Erin's eyes danced feverishly as she looked over the body. In a daze, Erin backed away from the bed, breathing in deeply with each slow step. As her back reached the wall, she slid down it suddenly and leaned over to her side, gagging uncontrollably. After a few moments, Erin wiped her mouth with the corner of her sleeve and looked back up longingly at the figure on the cheap motel bed that was once the one person she loved the most._

Erin coughed and her eyes unwillingly fluttered open. Every inch of her body pulsed with aches and sores. A sharp pounding reverberated off the inside walls of her skull as she reached up to examine her new gash painted across her forehead. In a haze, she finally looked around and remembered the preceding events. Her eyes slowly fell on the unconscious man that sat slumped over with his face against the steering wheel. She examined his motionless body in silence and then moved her search to the inside of the car. Finally, she found what she was looking for resting atop the dashboard. Erin reached up and grasped the weapon without hesitation. With the gun in hand, she went to open her door but was instantly reminded of feeble attempts at pushing it open earlier. Using the handle of the pistol, Erin began pounding against the glass window of her door. Reaching through the newly created opening, Erin maneuvered around and pulled the outside handle as hard as she could. The door fell open and Erin quickly crawled out, glancing back at her comatose kidnapper every few seconds. As her body hit the grass, she released a great sigh or relief followed by a small cough of pain. Slowly, Erin forced herself to her feet and around to the other side of the car. In a rage she yanked the driver's side door open and lifted the gun towards her father's head. Her balance wavered and she couldn't tell if it was from her physical frailty or something internal. She loathed this man in every possible form, yet still her finger hesitated on the trigger. It hovered there for several moments before Erin repositioned herself with her other hand cradling the gun for further support and her knees slightly bent. She held that stance for a period of time that she could not count. Her body and mind were numb. Time became irrelevant. All that mattered was the gun in her hand and the man who had murdered her mother and who had had David attacked and killed. Her fingertips danced with the trigger as her breathing deepened. Releasing a heavy and broken sigh, Erin finally lowered the gun to her side.

"Erin."

Erin turned around to see Angel and Wesley jogging towards her from the side of the road. She locked eyes with both of them and no one needed to say a word. Exhaling, Erin began taking small steps towards her new friends.

"Erin!"

Angel's voice pierced the silence. Erin quickly spun around in time to see her awakened father in an enraged lunge towards her, a blade of broken glass in his hand. Without hesitation, Erin lifted the gun that was still in her hand and squeezed the small trigger three times before her father's body crumpled to the ground. Her breath instantly caught in her throat and she staggered backwards. She couldn't speak and she could barely move. The weapon trembled in her uncertain hands. Her wide eyes would not remove themselves from the dead body that laid before her. Erin had felt shock before and had certainly felt diverse sorts of pain on numerous occasions, but the feeling that overtook her at that moment was somehow different. Only minutes ago she had imagined that that same act would have possibly brought her pleasure or some sense of justice. Now, it simply made her stomach knot. She scarcely realized Angel as he appeared at her side and lowered her arms, carefully removing the weapon from her hands. Startled, she glanced over at him with confused and hurting eyes.


	10. Move Forward

The entire building seemed oddly hushed. Erin paced back and forth, her bag slung across her back. She could faintly hear the light sound of footsteps above her and knew it was only a matter of time. The three of them were up there, waiting for her, she could sense it. Her stomach tightened as she drew closer to the steps and she abruptly spun around and briskly headed for the back set of stairs. She hopped up the steps and rounded the corner in time collide with a tall figure. Erin gasped and quickly backed away.

"I'm sorry," Angel spoke gently.

Erin shrugged and continued walking past him.

"So, that's it?" He questioned, turning to meet her gaze. "You're leaving?"

"Uh, yeah," Erin sighed, adjusting her backpack strap, "there's no reason for me to stick around in your hair."

"You're welcome to stay," Angel offered. "We can help you with everything you're going through, your powers –"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Erin snapped and then paused, her face softening. "Really though, thank you, for everything – but I – I just can't stay."

There was a shared moment of silence as the two experienced what felt like an unspoken stand off, each waiting for the other to speak, to give some sort of signal. Erin lowered her head and again began shuffling down the hall. She had only gotten three steps further when she slowed to a stop and released a repressed sigh of mixed emotions.

"I wanted to do it, you know," Erin suddenly spoke. Her eyes met with Angel's, whose face urged her to continue. "Back – After the accident, I had the gun and I wanted to do it, I wanted to kill him. So bad, did I want to kill him. He was a monster. He killed and killed until he got what he want, no matter who got in the way. He took everyone I loved away from me and I wanted to see him pay." She hesitated, the rage fading from her eyes. "But – I – I couldn't. I just couldn't."

"I knew you wouldn't." Angel suddenly revealed, causing Erin to cock her head in confusion. "I saw you get out of the car. I saw you point the gun at your father and I knew you wouldn't do it."

"How? How could you have known?"

"My job is to protect people, from others, and from themselves. If I would have thought for a second that you were going to go through with it, I would have stopped you, but you stopped yourself. That takes great courage and strength. You're a reckless and stubborn teenager, but you're not a killer."

"I am now," Erin mumbled, praying he wouldn't hear.

"No," Angel shook his head, "you're not. You did what you had to do. I would've done the same."

"Then how come I feel so torn up inside, like I did something wrong? Like I'm this horrible person? Like –"

"Chopping up demons is one thing. Taking a human life is another entirely, even if it is in self-defense. You'll be okay, though. You can stay here if you –"

"No," Erin spoke too quickly, "really, I should go."

"Wesley and Cordelia are upstairs waiting to say goodbye."

"I'm not really good with goodbyes." Erin turned away. "Just, tell them thank you for me."

"Just because he's dead now doesn't mean you're not still running," Angel warned. "You have to face your demons sometime or they will catch up to you."

"You face the demons," Erin called out, already halfway out the door, "I'm going home."

The door swung closed as Erin stepped out onto the street and into the warm sunlight. The vampire's words hung in the back of her mind as she continued down the road, attempting to simply gain as much distance between herself and that place that she could. She was not sure what she was doing or where she was headed, but she just needed to get away. She didn't care if she was running. She didn't care if she was avoiding her problems. She didn't care that she truly wasn't going home. The fact was, Erin knew that she no longer had a home, not with her mother, not with David, not with her brother. She was a stranger to the world, a stranger to herself, wandering the depressed and desolate back roads and alleyways of Los Angeles, longing to turn back, but forcing herself to move forward.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Yes, it's a sister-fic. It was one of my first ever fics. I tried very hard to not make her into a Mary Sue. I just loved Doyle too much, I couldn't let him go.


End file.
